New Beginnings

The Aerie is now up and running.

I have wondered for a while whether I would ever really blog. Part of me thought of blogging as not much more than simply unbridled narcissism: the construction of journal entries which people used to write in the hopes that one day, posthumously, these reflections and observations would be read and appreciated and the sagacity of the author acknowledged.

Then there's the other part of me which acknowledges that blogging may in fact have some inherent intellectual virtue. It allows a greater opportunity for reflection on issues which I might only think about in passing and not take the time to actually pursue; the chance to even open a dialogue and have my own observations challenged (and thus refined); and, the historian-archivist in me acknowledges that as I am beginning my formal seminary studies, it would be an interesting way to track my own professional and theological growth.

But this, of course, leads to the real conundrum for me -- I am a person who, by virtue of entering seminary and ministry, is going to become a form of a public figure, whose faith and philosophy are now being exposed to the world -- or at least select portions of it. Do I really want my "inner workings" thus exposed? I have enough sense of personal and professional boundaries that I am likely to err more on the side of discretion than inappropriate self-disclosure; but will i be so concerned about this that i'll offer little more than "I have a test tomorrow and i'm tired."?

We'll see. Seminary begins officially this Friday, August 22, with my orientation at Wesley Theological, where i'll meet the class of incoming M.Div students from a variety of denominations, and where I'll likely gauge the demographics, and wonder how strongly i'll have to play the role of the token progressive Christian/liberal religious/queer seminarian.

And away we go!